A pioneering liberal arts college in Ohio with mandatory cooperative education and deep commitment to social justice.
Antioch College emphasizes experiential learning through its mandatory cooperative education program, where students alternate between classroom study and full-time work experiences. The college offers interdisciplinary self-designed majors and structured pathways including Culture, Power and Change; Interdisciplinary Arts and Creative Practice; Global Studies and Engagement; Social Enterprise and Social Innovation; and Sustainability and the Environment. Co-op placements span diverse fields including animal advocacy, environmental science, education, media arts, policy, and health advocacy, with opportunities available across 35+ countries. The college maintains a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio and is one of only 10 Federal Work Colleges in the United States.
Located on a rural campus in Yellow Springs, Ohio, Antioch College operates as a collaborative community where students participate in college governance and decision-making. The campus features the Olive Kettering Library, Foundry Theater, Herndon Gallery, Antioch Farm, and the Coretta Scott King Center. Students live on campus in residential facilities and dine together at Antioch Kitchens. The college provides counseling services, medical services, and LGBTQIA+ resources. Campus life emphasizes democratic participation, with students helping to shape college policies and community standards.
Antioch College accepts applications for first-year and transfer students. The college offers direct admission pathways, including a specific program for Hampshire College students. An Ohio Reach Program supports students with foster care or kinship care experience. All admitted students receive need or merit-based scholarships, with 100% of students receiving financial aid. The college welcomes international students and offers application instructions in Spanish. Campus visits and information sessions are available.
Antioch College was founded in 1850 and began operations in 1852 under the leadership of Horace Mann, the renowned education reformer. The college's motto—'Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity'—reflects its longstanding commitment to social justice and activism. It was the fourth college in the nation to admit African-American students on equal terms and the first coeducational college to offer identical educational opportunities to men and women. After closure in 2008, the college was revived in 2011 by alumni who formed the Antioch College Continuation Corporation.